This plot of land might not be salvageable.
Looking at the patch that continued to seep black gold, Zunzun fought back tears and covered it up again.
When you're starving, even the world's most precious gems are worthless—unless they can buy you a loaf of bread. So the only choice was to ignore it... for now.
He shifted to cultivating a different spot on the other side of the altar.
This time, things went much more smoothly. Although all his earlier efforts had been wasted, at least now progress was steady.
He gathered his strength and swung the shovel with determination.
O God, start!
Thus began Zunzun's daily routine: coming to the forbidden area to cultivate land. After a full month of work, he finally reclaimed an entire acre, about a thousand square meters.
It wasn't easy.
Not only was his body still that of a six-year-old child, but his farming tool was just a clunky shovel. Without the help of his cheat—his divine body with its absurd recovery speed—the whole thing would've taken twice as long.
And yet, after finishing, Zunzun felt a creeping greed.
A thousand square meters… was way too much.
At least, too much for now.
He simply couldn't manage that much farmland on his own. So he picked the most fertile portion—just one-tenth of the total—and decided to focus on that.
For a full-grown adult, it might seem small. But for six-year-old Zunzun, it was just right.
Of course, reclaiming land doesn't mean you can plant immediately. First, you have to remove debris: fallen branches, stones, old roots—anything that might disrupt seed growth. The surface has to be leveled for crops to grow properly.
A clean field also makes future maintenance much easier and boosts the efficiency of land use.
That's why he only kept the best part.
Clearing the debris took almost ten days. Every morning, Zunzun arrived at the forbidden area before dawn and worked straight through until evening.
Why so diligent?
Because winter was coming.
The planting time for crops is crucial. Growth cycles, harvest yields—everything depends on it. Weather and temperature can be merciless.
If Zunzun wanted to eat his own crops next year, he had to prepare the land before winter and plant in early spring. Miss the window, and the land would be wasted for the entire year.
That night, back at home...
"Zunzun, you've been going out early and coming back late every day. Are you hiding something from me?"
Sister Soketto's question hit the nail on the head. It caught him off guard, and he couldn't help but purse his lips guiltily.
"This, uh, this..."
"Speak." She suddenly became serious, a rare scowl on her face. "You leave clean and come back covered in mud. Wait—don't tell me someone's been bullying you?"
"No! No one bullied me!"
"Then what happened?"
"I, I... I went to the forbidden area."
Zunzun shut his eyes, bracing for the incoming storm.
"What?! You went to the forbidden area?!"
As expected, Sister Soketto exploded.
"How could you be so disobedient? You've really disappointed me! Didn't I tell you there's an evil god sealed there? That it's dangerous?!"
"But Sister, I couldn't help it! My adventurous soul... my Crimson Demon soul was stirring! It kept calling to me—only there could I find my true destiny! Please, Sister Soketto, acknowledge my spirit!"
"...Zunzun..."
Soketto covered her mouth, shocked that her usually obedient little brother would talk back like this.
Then, unexpectedly, she was moved.
"It turns out the blood of the Crimson Demons truly flows through your veins. I knew this day would come. It seems you've awakened. Very well—if I can't stop you, then I'll support you. But promise me this: always uphold the pride of the Crimson Demons!"
"Thank you, Sister Soketto!"
The siblings embraced in dramatic fashion.
…
…
The above embarrassment—cringeworthy enough to drill a three-bedroom apartment's worth of holes into the floor—was actually a normal day in the Crimson Demon household. Chuunibyou episodes like these happened all the time in this clan of eccentrics.
Zunzun had long since stopped being surprised.
In fact, he could now cooperate perfectly with Sister Soketto's over-the-top performances.
Come to think of it, wasn't it her idea in the first place to encourage him to explore the forbidden area?
Why blame her now?
From this perspective, the so-called "forbidden area" was like a public restroom—easy to enter and exit, and frequently visited. Who wouldn't go there?
As for the farming, Zunzun chose not to mention it. Because he had one goal:
Farm quietly, and then surprise everyone.
Of course, if Sister Soketto found out, she would've definitely insisted on helping.
But she already had so much on her plate—cooking, cleaning, running the family fortune-telling shop—and she was starting school next spring. Zunzun didn't want to burden her further.
Even so, Soketto still said, "I'll make some rice balls for you to bring tomorrow."
"Really?! Thanks, Sister Soketto!"
Lunch rice balls—secured!
Previously, Zunzun would run home every afternoon to eat lunch. Now, with portable rice balls, he could stay in the field and save a ton of time.
Thanks to this boost, he sped up his progress and barely managed to finish prepping the field before the end of autumn.
And then... winter arrived.
"Konosuba" also celebrated the New Year. After all, Aqua had sent over a bunch of time travelers from the modern world, so their holidays were more or less familiar.
The only difference was that the Crimson Demons had a special festival called the Crimson Birth Day—a holiday celebrating the founding of their race. That particular day was always complete chaos. Even now, Zunzun couldn't think about it without shuddering.
Around the same time, his parents—who had been gone for over a year—finally returned, along with other villagers who'd been out traveling.
Zunzun, like a classic left-behind child, eagerly awaited their return. But it wasn't out of longing for familial love.
It was for the New Year's money.
In past years, Zunzun didn't need much. He'd always given his New Year's money to Sister Soketto to help with household expenses.
But this year was different. The seeds, tools, and fertilizer he needed for farming in the spring weren't free. He needed that money.
In the house at the eastern edge of Crimson Demon Village…
"I am Zunzun, destined to become the strongest Crimson Demon!"
Suppressing his embarrassment, Zunzun struck a dozen different JoJo poses, each one more exaggerated and dramatic than the last.
His strange, flamboyant movements made his parents laugh with glee—and shower him with cash.
That year, he received more money than the past six years combined.
At the year-end Crimson Demon party, they held their annual Chuunibyou Competition, where contestants were judged on the most "handsome" lines and actions.
Zunzun had never participated before. It was too cringey.
But this year, for the sake of the grand prize—100,000 Eris—he forced himself onto the stage.
And he won the championship.
As expected... chuunibyou is power in the Crimson Demon Clan.
-End Chapter-
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